Governor for fuel injection pump



May 19, 1959 N V. D. ROOSA 2,887,099

GOVERNOR FOR FUEL INJECTION PUMP Filed nec. s, 1955 VE HNO/V D. ROOS/4AT OPNEYG `disposed a rotor 12.

United States Patent() 2,887,099 i GOVERNOR FOR FUEL INJECTION PUMPVernon D. Roosa, West Hartford, Conn. Application December 8, 1955,Serial No. 551,944 Claims. (Cl. 123--140) This invention relates to animproved governing means for an engine fuel pump. The presentapplication is a continuation-in-part of my copending application SerialNo. 457,903, filed September 23, 1954.

The improved governor means of the present invention is intended for useWith an engine fuel injection pump of the type which is driven by theengine to which it supplies fuel and which pump is provided with a valveor other movable control member for varying the fuel tlow to, and hencethe speed of, the engine. One aim of the present invention is to providean improved governor for use with fuel pumps which is capable of moreeffective speed regulation and which is arranged to be mounted in animproved manner with respect to the fuel pump.

A more specic aim of the present invention is to provide a governorwhich can be mounted directly on the rotor ofthe fuel pump and which isof simplified construction whereby it may be fabricated and assembled inan economical and convenient manner.

Another specific aim is to provide a governor which is responsive to`both speed and the rate of change of speed in such manner that it willprovide sensitive regulation to engine speed without being adverselyaffected by momentary surges or fluctuations in engine speed requiringno fuel regulation.

Other objects will be in part obvious, `and `in part pointed out more indetail hereinafter. i

The invention accordingly consists in the `features of construction,combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will beexemplified in the `construction hereafter set forth and the scope ofthe application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of an exemplary fuel pump, a portion of the pumpbeing in cross sectionto show the governor means of the presentinvention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is` an enlarged end view of the governor as mounted on the fuelpump rotor; and

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view `taken along the lines t 3--3 of Fig.2.

Referring to the drawings, the improved governor means of the presentinvention is shown installed in a fuel pump of the type shown in myprior Patent No. 2,641,238, granted June 9, 1953, to which referencemaybe had for a description of details of construction not covered bythe present specification. The following description of the pump will belimited only to those portions of the pump which are involved inthetpresent invention and as to which an explanation is deemed necessaryfor a complete understanding of the present invention.

As best shown in Fig. l, the fuel pump includes a head having a centralcylindrical bore 11 in which is integrally formed on the rotor 12 is anenlarged pump containing section 13. The rightvalve (not shown) whichreceives fuel from a'pick-up or f j .FCC

2 feed pump located in the outer end 15 of the head 10 and meters thefue] to the iluid passages ofthe rotor.

Secured to the head 10 is a housing 20 having an internal cavity 21 andformed with a mounting flange 22 by means of which the pump may besecured to a desired support such as the skirt of the engine with whichthe pump is associated. In accordance with the invention, the rotor 12need not be provided with an elongated drive shaft extending outwardlyof the flange 22 but is provided merely with a stub shaft 30 integrallyformed thereon and having a slot or groove 28 at its outer end as shownin Fig. 2 by means of which the rotor may be attached to a driving shaftextending from or connected to the engine. By use of such a stub shaftthe problem of attaining proper alignment of the pump is greatlyreduced. In addition, it is unnecessary to provide any bearing surfacesfor the shaft other than the rotor itself.

In accordance with the invention,` a governor `29 of simplified andimproved construction is disposed on the stub shaft 30. The stub shaft30 is formed immediately adjacent the rotor 12 with a portion 31 ofsquare cross section which serves as a means for mounting a drive plate32 which has a center aperture complementary to the flange 31. The driveplate 32 is axially retained on the flange 31 by means of the snap ring33 which is received in arcuate grooves (not shown) formed diagonally ofthe corners of the square shaft portion 31. An outer cage member 34 inthe form of a thin-walled cylinder or tube is mounted coaxially andabout the outer periphery of the drive plate 32 and is suitably fixedthereto, such as by brazing. An inner cage member or weight retainer 35is received within the outer cage member 34 and axially retained thereinby the spinning over of the end of the outer cage member as at 36. Theinner cage member 35 is so dimensioned with respect to the outer cagemember 34 that it may rotate relative thereto. Engaged between the innerend of the inner cage 35 and the drive plate 32 is a friction disc 37fabricated of suitable material having a high coetlicient of frictionsuch as neoprene. The friction disc 37 provides a driving connectionbetween drive plate 32 and the inner cage 35 which can slip if therotative speed of the drive plate is suddenly increased or decreased.

As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the inner cage 35, which may be made ofsheet metal, is formed with a plurality of rectangular pockets 38 ineach of which is seated a governor weight 39 having a generallytrapezoidal shape. The governor weights 39 are notched at 40`to provideinwardly extending fingers 41. A sleeve 42 which is axially slidablymounted on the stub shaft 30, has a flange 43 at its inner end inengagement with `the fingers 41 of the governor weights 39. The governorweights are adapted to pivot on the apex or corner 44 thereof whichengages the outer corner 45 of the pockets 38. The center of gravity oftheweights 39 is at the left of the apex 40 as viewed in Fig. 3, withthe result that as the cage 35 is rotated, the weights will `tend topivot outwardly responsive to centrifugal force about the apex 44, thusapplying an axial force in a lefthand direction to the flange 43 of thesleeve 42 by the fingers 41 of the weights and a counter-acting forcethrough the apexes 44 to the back plate 46 of the inner cage 35 which inturn abuts against the friction disc 437.

The sleeve 42 cooperates with a pivoted lever or governor arm 50. Theend 51 of the lever has a bent-over portion 52 for engagement with aflange 53 on the lefthand end of the sleeve 42, the sleeve flange 53being formed with ears 54 to abut the ilanges 52 of the lever 50, thuspreventing the sleeve from rotating. The lever 50 is pivoted at 55 abouta pivot bar 56 which may be formed of square bar`tstock having twosurfaces milled to form atfulcrum 57 `about which the lever 50"is` piv-3 loted. The end of the lever 50 opposite from the governor is providedwith a spring seat 5S in the form of a conical projection about which ismounted a governorreturn yspring't'i, the .force of which may bereguvlated by .turning the `control Vlever 61. As will be understood,the lever 50 is adapted to be connectedby suitable linkage (not shown)to the control valve previously mentioned in a manner whereby clockwisemovement of Vthe lever will result .in ya decrease in fuel ow andconversely, vcounterclockwise movement of the rlever 'will `.result inan increase in fuel flow. The force of the governor return spring 60 isapplied to the sleeve 42 through the lever 5t). Sleeve 42 bears vagainstthe weights '39 which in turn are mounted on the cage`35 whose backplate 46 abuts against friction disc 37. Thus cage 3S .is biased intoengagement with disc '37 by the governor return spring di).

It vis'believed that the operation of the governor means of the presentinvention will be apparent from the foregoing description taken togetherwith the following explanation. As has been previously described, thegovernor weights are arranged to pivot about their apex@ 44 responsiveto rotation of the governor cage 35. In

ythis manner the centrifugal force developed by the Weights is directedaxially of 'the rotor through the drive plate 32 in a rightwarddirection, as viewed in Figs. l and 3. Thus, the thrust ofthe governoris absorbed by the rotor 'l2 and it is unnecessary to provide additionalbearings or other supports for the governor. If, during the operation ofthe pump and governor combination, a m0- Vrnentary surge or 'fluctuationAin engine speed should o'ccur, the friction disc 37 which fhas beenprovided in accordance with this invention as the driving connectionbetween `the inner cage member 35 and the drive plate '32 will permitthe drive plate 32 to slip relative to the inner cage member 35, so thatthe surge in speed will `not cause an overcorrection of the requiredfuel flow to the engine. The amount of pressure exerted on the frictiondisc 37 and hence the frictional force between drive lplate 32 and cagemember 35 will vary with engine speed since as the speed `of rotationincreases the thrust of the rpivoted weights 39 against cage member `35will increase. Thus, any tendency ofthedrive to slip at higher 'speedsis overcome while at lower speeds sufficient slippage is provided tosmooth out any rough or `uneven operation of the engine which islikelyto occur at lower speeds.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and manyapparently widely different embodiments of this invention could lbe madewithout departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all mattercontained in the above 'description or shown yin the accom- Ypanyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the followingclaims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features ofthe invention herein described and all statements of the scope of theinvention which, as a matter of language, might be said to falltherebetween.

`I claim:

1. In a fuel pump governor, a drive shaft, a supporting member mountedon the shaft for rotational and axial movement relative thereto, adriving member fixed to the shaft on one side of the supporting member,an axially slidable control member von the other side .of the supportingmember, va plurality of weights pivotally mounted on the .supportingmember `and engaging the "control memberto exert `a `thrust therebetweenwhen lsubjected tovcentrifugal force `due to rotation, and means Yforming a friction surface between vthe supporting mem- 'ber and drivingmember which 4is subjected to a compressive .force responsive to `thethrust on the lsupporting member.

i2. LIn a lfuel pumps, .-a .,rotor for connection to :fa drive shaft, agovernor driving .member lin the form lof fa plat'e noemen xed to therotor, a cage mounted for rotation relative to the rotor having a flatend surface adjacent the plate, a friction member betweenthe end surfaceof the cage and the driving member, a control member mounted formovement axially of the rotor, and governor weights carried by the cageand pivotally mounted to exert a thrust ybetween the control member andthe cage when the cage lis rotated, thus compressing the friction memberbetween the end surface of the cage and the driving member.

3. In a fuel pump, a rotor, a drive member for the rotor, a drive plateabutting one end of the rotor and mounted for rotation therewith, a cagemounted for rotation relative to the rotor and movable axially on theydrive member, said cage having an end plate facing the -drive plate, afriction disc between the end plate and drive plate, a spring loadedcontrol member movable `axially on the drive member and disposedadjacent the cage on the side thereof opposite from the rotor, and aplurality of weights Vpivotally mounted on the cage for vmovementresponsive to centrifugal force, said weights `being operativelyconnected to the control member to exert a thrust on the control memberin a direction away from the rotor and on the cage in a direction towardthev rotor.

4. In a fuel pump, a body provided with a cylindrical cavity forming ahydraulic head, a rotor mounted for rotation 'in the cavity andsupported against axial move- :mentirelative to the body, a stub shafton the end of the rotor for connecting the rotor to driving means forimparting .rotational movement to the rotor, and a governor 'mounted onthe .stub shaft comprising a cage rotatably supported on the stub shaftadjacent the rotor, yieldable yconnecting means `between the cage androtor, a spring `loa-ded control member mounted for axial movement `onthe stub shaft on the side of the cage opposite from the irotor, band :a4plurality of weights mounted on the cage for movement responsive tocentrifugal force when 'the `cage .is rotated, said weights beingoperatively connected to the control member to exert a thrust on thecontrol member in adirection vaway from the rotor and to exert *a thrust-onthe cage in a direction toward the rotor.

5. In a fuel pump, a body provided with a cylindrical cavity forming ahydraulic head, a rotor mounted for rotationin the cavity and supportedagainst axial movement relative to the body, a stub shaft having aportion thereof of irregular cross section on the end of the rotor forconnecting the rotor to driving means for imparting rotational movementto the rotor, and a governor mounted `on saidstub shaft comprising acage having an open end and a closed end, said open end facing away fromsaid .rotor and the closed end having an opening of irregular crosssection `complementary to the irregularly cross sectione'djportion ofthe ystub shaft so that the cage will vbe supported on :said irregularlycross sectioned portion of the stub shaft, a .spring loaded controlmember mounted y'for axial movement on the stub shaft on the side of thecage opposite from the rotor, and a plurality of weights mounted withinthe cage for movement responsive to centrifugal .force when the cage isrotated, said weights being operatively connected to the control memberto exert a thrust on the control member in a direction away from therotor and to exert a thrust on the cage in a direction .toward the rotorwhich is supported and 'ab- .sorbed by said rotor.

References Cited .in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS .V2,259,693 Hogeman Oct. 2l, 194'1 j 2,641,238 Roosa June 9, 195,32,794,397 Burman June 4, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 694,152 Great .BritainJuly 15, '1953 161,969 .Australia Mar. .16, :1955

